Gobbla2001
11-16-2007, 12:08 AM
since there is a lack of Palacios poster ANYWHERE on the internet, I'll represent 'em...
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from today's Victoria Advocate
43 years of waiting finally over
Texas assistant Giles proud of alma mater for ending playoff drought
November 15, 2007
Oscar Giles can’t recall having a better week.
Giles was in a celebratory mood Friday night after learning Palacios had defeated Yoakum to earn a playoff berth, he felt even better after Texas thumped Texas Tech on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin and he was positively glowing Tuesday evening when his wife, Kim, gave birth to their first child, a daughter, they named Olivia.
“It’s been a blessing,” said Giles, who admitted he hadn’t slept much as he spoke by phone from Austin. “Things happen right before your eyes. It’s like beginning the second phase of my life.”
Giles, who coaches the defensive ends at Texas and was busy preparing for the Longhorns upcoming game against Texas A&M, reported that mother and daughter were doing fine but quickly turned the conversation to his former high school.
“I’m excited about those things but this is not about me,” Giles insisted. “This is about what those kids at Palacios have done.”
Palacios finished third in District 29-3A with its 51-15 win at Yoakum and ended a playoff drought dating back to 1964 when the Sharks won the Class 2A (now 3A) state championship.
Palacios (7-3) will make its first playoff appearance in 43 years when it takes on Corpus Christi West Oso (8-2) in a Division II bi-district playoff Saturday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Victoria.
“Winning is important and it’s not easy to win and get in the playoffs,” Giles said. “That’s why they should cherish these moments.”Giles earned all-district honors at tight end for three seasons and at defensive end for two under coach Pat Walker at Palacios. The Sharks went 5-5 his sophomore year and had winning records his junior (7-3) and senior (4-3-2) seasons but never made the playoffs before he graduated in 1987.
“You can make a thousand excuses like they only took two teams to the playoffs, but it all goes by the wayside,” Giles said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
Giles has heard all kinds of reasons for Palacios’ lack of success ranging from the remote location of the town to its ethnic makeup but he dismisses them all.
“That’s people outside looking in,” Giles said. “We had some good players in Palacios. The other teams were better. Teams like Sweeny and Van Vleck played for championships at that time. You have to have great timing and you’ve got to be lucky to get it done. It can get contagious. Hopefully, you go one year and you can do it the next year.”
Giles gives much of the credit for the Sharks’ success this season to coach Mike Treybig, who is in his third season at Palacios.
“I’ve known Mike for a while,”Giles said. “I was really pushing for him to get the job. I knew his history at Sweeny and Industrial and I knew he had a chance to get the program headed in the right direction. It’s a compliment to him, the Palacios school district and school board and the people in town that they’ve shown the patience to give him time to right the ship.”
Giles, who decided to accept a scholarship offer to play football at Texas rather than at Baylor during a Spanish class his senior year at Palacios, has done his best to keep in touch with his hometown during his playing and coaching careers.
“That’s my alma mater,” Giles said. “I’m loyal to the program and I go back to the school whenever I can. Those are the ties that I keep.”
Giles started at defensive end for three years at Texas and earned all-Southwest Conference honors and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Trophy and played in the 1991 Cotton Bowl as a senior. He went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL and before going to Canada where he helped the Toronto Argonauts win the Grey Cup Championship in 1996.
He began coaching as an assistant at Southwest Texas State in 1998, worked as a graduate assistant at Texas, and as an assistant at Houston and SMU before returning to Texas for the 2005 national championship season.
“It’s a neat thing for me to be able to return to the place where I went to school and be a part of coach (Mack) Brown’s staff,”Giles said. “It’s been a great experience for me to be a part of a national championship team. I’ve learned a lot of things during my years at Texas. There have been so many different life lessons that I didn’t even think about that should help make me a better person, a better dad and a better husband.”
Giles’ recruiting duties will keep him from attending Saturday’s game, but his mother, Betty Rashford, who resides in Victoria, and other relatives are almost sure to be at Memorial Stadium. Wherever Giles’ travels take him, the Palacios football team will be on his mind.
“You never know and you can never assume anything,” Giles said. “I remember one season (1985) we were 5-0 and the parade was already set but we just didn’t finish. The 2007 Palacios Sharks are the ones who made history and set the standard.”
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from today's Victoria Advocate
43 years of waiting finally over
Texas assistant Giles proud of alma mater for ending playoff drought
November 15, 2007
Oscar Giles can’t recall having a better week.
Giles was in a celebratory mood Friday night after learning Palacios had defeated Yoakum to earn a playoff berth, he felt even better after Texas thumped Texas Tech on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin and he was positively glowing Tuesday evening when his wife, Kim, gave birth to their first child, a daughter, they named Olivia.
“It’s been a blessing,” said Giles, who admitted he hadn’t slept much as he spoke by phone from Austin. “Things happen right before your eyes. It’s like beginning the second phase of my life.”
Giles, who coaches the defensive ends at Texas and was busy preparing for the Longhorns upcoming game against Texas A&M, reported that mother and daughter were doing fine but quickly turned the conversation to his former high school.
“I’m excited about those things but this is not about me,” Giles insisted. “This is about what those kids at Palacios have done.”
Palacios finished third in District 29-3A with its 51-15 win at Yoakum and ended a playoff drought dating back to 1964 when the Sharks won the Class 2A (now 3A) state championship.
Palacios (7-3) will make its first playoff appearance in 43 years when it takes on Corpus Christi West Oso (8-2) in a Division II bi-district playoff Saturday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Victoria.
“Winning is important and it’s not easy to win and get in the playoffs,” Giles said. “That’s why they should cherish these moments.”Giles earned all-district honors at tight end for three seasons and at defensive end for two under coach Pat Walker at Palacios. The Sharks went 5-5 his sophomore year and had winning records his junior (7-3) and senior (4-3-2) seasons but never made the playoffs before he graduated in 1987.
“You can make a thousand excuses like they only took two teams to the playoffs, but it all goes by the wayside,” Giles said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
Giles has heard all kinds of reasons for Palacios’ lack of success ranging from the remote location of the town to its ethnic makeup but he dismisses them all.
“That’s people outside looking in,” Giles said. “We had some good players in Palacios. The other teams were better. Teams like Sweeny and Van Vleck played for championships at that time. You have to have great timing and you’ve got to be lucky to get it done. It can get contagious. Hopefully, you go one year and you can do it the next year.”
Giles gives much of the credit for the Sharks’ success this season to coach Mike Treybig, who is in his third season at Palacios.
“I’ve known Mike for a while,”Giles said. “I was really pushing for him to get the job. I knew his history at Sweeny and Industrial and I knew he had a chance to get the program headed in the right direction. It’s a compliment to him, the Palacios school district and school board and the people in town that they’ve shown the patience to give him time to right the ship.”
Giles, who decided to accept a scholarship offer to play football at Texas rather than at Baylor during a Spanish class his senior year at Palacios, has done his best to keep in touch with his hometown during his playing and coaching careers.
“That’s my alma mater,” Giles said. “I’m loyal to the program and I go back to the school whenever I can. Those are the ties that I keep.”
Giles started at defensive end for three years at Texas and earned all-Southwest Conference honors and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Trophy and played in the 1991 Cotton Bowl as a senior. He went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL and before going to Canada where he helped the Toronto Argonauts win the Grey Cup Championship in 1996.
He began coaching as an assistant at Southwest Texas State in 1998, worked as a graduate assistant at Texas, and as an assistant at Houston and SMU before returning to Texas for the 2005 national championship season.
“It’s a neat thing for me to be able to return to the place where I went to school and be a part of coach (Mack) Brown’s staff,”Giles said. “It’s been a great experience for me to be a part of a national championship team. I’ve learned a lot of things during my years at Texas. There have been so many different life lessons that I didn’t even think about that should help make me a better person, a better dad and a better husband.”
Giles’ recruiting duties will keep him from attending Saturday’s game, but his mother, Betty Rashford, who resides in Victoria, and other relatives are almost sure to be at Memorial Stadium. Wherever Giles’ travels take him, the Palacios football team will be on his mind.
“You never know and you can never assume anything,” Giles said. “I remember one season (1985) we were 5-0 and the parade was already set but we just didn’t finish. The 2007 Palacios Sharks are the ones who made history and set the standard.”